Of Tin Dogs and Tin Men
by ZombieMops
Summary: After the TARDIS left, Jake and Mickey set off to liberate Paris from the Cybermen, join up with Torchwood, save two different Earths, and make various other interesting discoveries along the way. Past Jake/Ricky and Jake/Mickey. 2nd season spoilers.
1. Prologue

A/N: The following scene is a scene that actually happened (albeit a deleted scene,) that clearly stated that Ricky and Jake were an item. I just added some internal dialogue for dramatic flair. This is just a prelude anyways, so don't get your panties in a knot.

Spoilers for Age of Steel and Rise of the Cybermen.

I also don't own Mickey or Ricky or Jake or any DW characters. If I did, that scene wouldn't have been deleted and there would have been some Ricky/Jake lovin's before he got killed.

--

The TARDIS vworped out of sight, the winds dying down as it slipped out of their dimension and back into it's own.

Mickey looked sideways at Jake, who was still staring with mild shock at the place where the big blue box had been moments before. He laughed a little, remembering how much he had freaked out when he had first seen examples of the Doctors alien technology.

He felt a pang of guilt in his heart for leaving Rose, although it was painfully obvious she wasn't interested in him anymore, but rather reserved her affections for the dashing young Timelord who had apparently swept her off her feet.

He guessed that her going into another dimension entirely was kind of saying that they were going their seperate ways.

It took him a while to relize Jake had begun to move and was heading towards the van. Slipping on the ice, Mickey hurried after him, reaching the drivers door the same time as Jake reached the passengers side. Sliding into the relative warmth of the vans interior, Mickey shuffled around a bit before looking directly at Jake.

"Look, I know it's hard with my face lookin' exactly like Rickys...but I'm a different man. I'm not gonna replace him." Mickey silently prided himself on how smoothly that came out. Traveling with the Doctor helped to remove his nervous stuttering, too, it seemed.

Jake looked at Mickey, smiling sadly, but fondly in a way that he was most likely remembering Ricky. He shook his head. "You never could," He said softly, and let out a small sigh. "I'll never have another boyfriend like him."

A short beat passed in which everything slammed together in Mickeys mind. Oh, he should have seen it coming. But he missed it.

Missed the small but meaningful looks that quickly took place between Jake and Ricky, back in the van...

Missed the strange knowing look that Jake had given _him_ when he thought _he _was Ricky...

Missed the urgency in Jakes voice when he came running up to the group that night, sans doppleganger... _"are you Ricky...? are you Ricky?!"_

Missed when Mickey told him that Ricky had been killed by the Cybermen...the way Jake just seemed to deflate..._ "don't even say his name! you're nothing, you are. nothing!"_

Blinking several times, Mickey finally managed to make his vocal chords work in time with his mouth. "Okay! Definately not replacing him."

Jake snorted a bit at Mickeys surprise, but then looked up and geniunely grinned at him, and Mickey met his eyes, and something else panged in his chest that he passed off as pity.

"...But we can remember him," He continued, refusing to look away. "By fightin' in his name."

-

A/N: Don't worry, not a one shot. Just a prologue, there's more coming. )


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Thank you's and cookies to my one reviewer! Reviews make me happy inside. :)

I do not own Jake or Mickey or DW...if I did, there would have been more than hugging between them in the season 4 finale... .

--

He was not Ricky. He was not Ricky. Not in the slightest. Not at all, not in anything except body and face.

But that didn't mean there weren't qualities about Mickey that Jake found attractive.

They were in their room, in a motel close to the airport they would be visiting the next morning, and it was painfully boring. Jake flipped through channels on the TV, but kept watch on what Mickey was doing.

The dark skinned londoner was sitting indian-style on the bed across the room, messing nervously around with a ballpoint pen, clicking it open and shut, taking it apart, putting in back together again, and sometimes absently chewing on it as he watched the images flash by on the TV screen.

Jake had learned that Mickey had also been a mechanic, just like Ricky, but for much longer, since there wasn't any resistance that needed joining back in his world.

But that was were the lifestyle similarities ended. Ricky was usually collected, aware of himself...cool. But this Mickey had a sort of innocent excitement, which was what Jake guessed was making him fidget around with the pen.

That and hats. Mickey often wore more hats than Ricky. Jake vaguely wondered what sort of difference in the two universes there could be to offer that one Smith wore more hats than the other Smith. Just another mystery of life, it seemed, and was he _still _screwing around with that goddamned pen? Jake watched him out of the corner of his eye, amused.

This went on for another five minutes or so, untill finally Mickey had managed to turn the pen into some sort of projectile weapon. One click and the point shot out at him, at the same time leaking on him with all the ink it stored.

Jake burst out laughing, the sight of Mickey's neck and shirt front covered with blue ink too rich to ignore. "Oh, mate! I was just waitin' for that to happen!"

This was another difference between Ricky and Mickey. Ricky might have remained sober and slightly pissed off at the whole incident. But even with his shirt ruined and neck stained, Mickey cracked a smile.

"Ah, shut up, you." He muttered, still grinning as he hopped off the bed to go wash the ink off.

Jake still smiled slightly, watching him enter the bathroom, before he looked at the empty bed across from his. He sombered up instantly, vividly remembered the last time he had been in a motel room bed. With Ricky.

Back from a mission that had sent them out of London, Mrs. Moore had insisted on a room for herself. In response to Jakes questioning, Ricky had come to her defense.

"Let her, Jay. She can finally get some privacy." But the look he gave the blond indicated _"let her, Jay. We can finally get some privacy." _

As it turned out, they never did have sex that night. They just...lay there. Holding eachother. Which had been nice. Very nice.

Jake turned his head away from the bed, trying to focus on whatever was coming up next on the new episode of whatever the hell they were watching. Jake changed the channel.

Mickey came back into the room at this point, neck ink free, and chest shirt free, although he clutched a new one in his hand, he waited untill sitting back down on his bed before putting it on.

Jake looked up automatically when he returned, then noticed his shirtlessness, and looked back at the TV quickly. He could feel his face heating up. He most definately looked like Ricky. Oh, yes. There was no doubting that.

Blissfully unaware of the inner turmoil he was causing the blond, Mickey pulled his shirt down over his head and looked over at the TV before looking at him.

"You should go t'sleep, Jake. Got an early morning, right?"

"Yeah." Jake replied shortly, indicating loud and clear with his tone of voice that he wasn't interested in chit-chat.

After half an hour of no talking, Mickey went to bed. Jake waited untill he was sure the other man was asleep before turning off the TV. In the half light, he could just make out the breathing lump that was Mickey sleeping in the other bed.

His mind flashed back to the other motel room with Ricky. It had been warm and comfortable, and Jake missed it dearly.

Mickey grumbled something incoherent, but vaguely sounded like he was complaining about lamb chops. He rolled over, and Jake caught a glimpse of the top half of his face, mouth and nose obscured by covers.

For a fleeting second, Jake was fooled, and almost moved to go and curl up next to him, to just let him hold him, to go and make everything the way it used to be, before the Cybermen...

But Jake shook his head slightly, cold hard reality smacking him in the face.

It would never be back to he way it was. Ricky was dead, Mickey was here, and Jake just had to make the best of it.

He sighed, crawling in between the covers of his own bed, and took one last look at the face that looked so much like the one he loved.

"...g'night, Ricky."

--

A/N: I had planned at first to make this one end on a lighter note, but I couldn't help it. D: I'm a slave to angst. Uhm, the next one'll have a happier ending, I swear. ;


End file.
